Shalom,

Today I want to share again from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest". This is a very vital message for every bron again believer!

Do You See Your Calling?

…separated to the gospel of God… —Romans 1:1

Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.

Paul did not say that he separated himself, but “when it pleased God, who separated me…” (Galatians 1:15). Paul was not overly interested in his own character. And as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God. “Don’t ask me to be confronted with the strong reality of redemption on behalf of the filth of human life surrounding me today; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes.” To talk that way is a sign that the reality of the gospel of God has not begun to touch me. There is no reckless abandon to God in that. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).

So much of the early teaching that I received as a new believer was all about how to 'be a better Christian'. That is SO NOT what Jesus instructed His disciples to do! He sent them out to proclaim the Gospel! Why? Because, as He said Himself in Luke 19:10, He came for THIS reason:

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

We are sent to be the Lightbearers! To be the living witnesses of all that JESUS came and accomplished on our behalf! The only way to effectively do this is to get to know JESUS more intimately, and to do so consistently, day by day. He will lead, guide and direct us by His Spirit in all of the ways to carry out this commission that He has given us. Begin right now to get to know HIM better, and to care more that people see JESUS than what they think of you! Here is Hillsong with "King of Kings":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations" devotional. You can find it every day on his website!

The Teacher of All Things Is In You

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…

If you are asking whom or where you can go to to get the help you need, ask no more. Just turn to God who has already promised you the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom He has sent in Jesus’ name to dwell in you.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Yes, teach you all things! Do you really believe that? Or are you like some who believe that you seek God’s counsel only for spiritual things, but consult “professional” help for all other things in your life?

God does not want you to run to and rely on worldly wisdom. Now, there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor or engaging a financial consultant, but God wants you to come to Him first for counsel and direction. That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Counselor (see John 16:7, NIV), to teach you all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He will guide you into all truth (see John 16:13).

The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things…the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things” (1 John 2:20, 27).

So the way God teaches you is through the anointing within. It is a continuous anointing. In any particular situation, He is anointing you from within, teaching you by the presence or absence of His peace.

For example, a deal you are considering may sound very reasonable. But if you don’t have the peace in your spirit, don’t sign on the dotted line. Sign only when you have the peace. Be led by His peace and you will find that your heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid (see John 14:27).

When you follow that peace which only God can give to you as an inward witness, good things and even miracles will come forth!

AMEN! HE always and only leads us by His Spirit and in line with HIS PEACE and JOY! Get ready to be led intimately by Holy Spirit within you! Here is Hillsong with "Here's To The One":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 29 today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I am sharing the entire Psalm here! I LOVE this!

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Give to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon many (great) waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord splits and flashes forth forked lightning.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the hinds bring forth their young, and His voice strips bare the forests, while in His temple everyone is saying, Glory!

10 The Lord sat as King over the deluge; the Lord [still] sits as King [and] forever!

11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Notice how many times this Psalm refers to the voice of the Lord! Jesus said this in John 10:27:

27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

If you have received JESUS as Lord and personal Saviour, then you KNOW His voice! You have heard His voice! He speaks through through His Word and BY HIS SPIRIT IN YOU! Take time to really get used to hearing and receiving from HIS voice IN you! We, the Church of Jesus Christ, members of His family and of His body, are so blessed beyond measure and beyond God's people who lived at any other time before or after us! WE are unique in that Holy Spirit lives IN us and makes His voice known! Once you've established confidence in your ability to hear Him, then get busy obeying what He is telling you to do! Sing this song of commitment to JESUS and then as He leads you out, make those steps! AMEN! Hillsong's "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

The entire 'key' to walking by faith if found in today's "Faith Food" devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin!

Act Like It's True

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).

The crises of life come to all of us. If you do not know how to act on God's Word when a crisis comes, you will be at a disadvantage.

No matter what the problem is, God's Word has something to say about it. God's Word has the answer. Find out what the Word says, and act like it's true!

When someone asks the question, "What in the world are we going to do now?" Just smile and answer, "We're going to act like the Bible is true!"

Many people mentally agree that the Bible is true, but that's not enough. You must act like the Bible is true! If you know God's Word is true, and you act like it is, then it will become real in your life. You will bring God on the scene in your life!

Confession: God's Word is truth. I act like God's Word is true. I act like First John 4:4 is true. I act like Matthew 6:25-34 is true. I act like Hebrews 13:5-6 is true. I act like Philippians 4:19 is true. I act like Matthew 8:17 and First Peter 2:24 are true. I act like all the "in Him" scriptures are true. I act like it, and they are a reality in my life!

Amen and Amen! Remember, ALL of the promises of God are YES and AMEN - IN HIM (1 Corinthians 1:20)! Find the promises Hillsong with "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

David had developed such great confidence in the Lord that He sang/praised this song to HIM! Psalm 27:1-5:

1 The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.

With this kind of condfidence it is hard to imagine that David ever had a down day or a moment of fear, but we KNOW from spending all of these years in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan that David DID grow weary sometimes and that on occasion he would feel desperate! He would always encourage himself in the Lord! WE CANN, TOO! Look at verses 13-14 show us this:

13 [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! 14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Let's make it our 'determined purpose' to continually encourage ourselves in the Lord so that we never lose even a minute of effectiveness in sharing the great GOOD NEWS with everyone we come in  contact with! Here, to help you in encouraging yourself in the Lord, is Hillsong with "Here's To The One":

                                     
Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers is another one that challenges our traditional thinking and cause us to digg deeper into God's Word for the TRUTH!

Look Again and Consecrate

If God so clothes the grass of the field…, will He not much more clothe you…? —Matthew 6:30

A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us because we will not be simple. How can we maintain the simplicity of Jesus so that we may understand Him? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that “if God so clothes the grass of the field…” how “much more” will He clothe you, if you keep your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed “the cares of this world” to enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the “much more” of our heavenly Father.

“Look at the birds of the air…” (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His Spirit within you, then God will care for your “feathers” too.

“Consider the lilies of the field…” (Matthew 6:28). They grow where they are planted. Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we don’t take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us? Are we experiencing the “much more” He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?

AMEN! Let's ALWAYS change OUR thinking to agree with God when we find oursleves differing from Him and from His Word! Remember, God is ALWAYS right!When we change our thinking to agree with Him (repentance), then we become right, also! Here is Hillsong with "So Will I":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We read Psalm 25 in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan for today and I have always loved verses 4-5:

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. 5 Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

1 John 5:14-15 tell us that when we ask for something that is according to God's will, He hears us,  and if He hears us,  then we have what we have asked for. The above is most definitely according to His will! Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be FULL (John 16:24)! THAT is the heart of our wonderful GOD! 

Another part of our Bible Plan reading for today that I love is Job 42:1-5:

1 Then Job said to the Lord, 2 I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted. 3 [You said to me] Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge? Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 [I had virtually said to You what You have said to me:] Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; I will demand of You, and You declare to me. 5 I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear, but now my [spiritual] eye sees You.

Job had been having wrong ideas of how our God operates and now he saw the error of his thinking. I especially love verse 5 where Job now SEES! We also must stay in the Word of God and in the fellowship of Holy Spirit so that we, too, can say "now my spiritual eye sees YOU"! Amen! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Whole Heart":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share again from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

God’s Overpowering Purpose

I have appeared to you for this purpose… —Acts 26:16

The vision Paul had on the road to Damascus was not a passing emotional experience, but a vision that had very clear and emphatic directions for him. And Paul stated, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Our Lord said to Paul, in effect, “Your whole life is to be overpowered or subdued by Me; you are to have no end, no aim, and no purpose but Mine.” And the Lord also says to us, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go…” (John 15:16).

When we are born again, if we are spiritual at all, we have visions of what Jesus wants us to be. It is important that I learn not to be “disobedient to the heavenly vision” — not to doubt that it can be attained. It is not enough to give mental assent to the fact that God has redeemed the world, nor even to know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did a reality in my life. I must have the foundation of a personal relationship with Him. Paul was not given a message or a doctrine to proclaim. He was brought into a vivid, personal, overpowering relationship with Jesus Christ. Acts 26:16 is tremendously compelling “…to make you a minister and a witness….” There would be nothing there without a personal relationship. Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ’s. He saw nothing else and he lived for nothing else. “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional for today is one of my very favorites! 

Demand

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:12-14).

The verses in today's text have nothing whatsoever to do with prayer. In yesterday's devotion, we saw how Jesus said to use His Name in prayer to the Father. But here we see a different use of Jesus' Name. Here, the Greek word translated "ask" can also mean "demand."

An example of this use of the Name is seen at the gate called Beautiful. Peter said to a lame man sitting at the gate, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).

Jesus said, "Whatsoever you demand in My name, I will do it." Let that soak in a little. When we use the Name of Jesus, it is as though Jesus were here Himself. All the power and authority invested in Jesus, is in His Name!

You're not demanding anything of the Father. (After all, it wasn't God who had bound that lame man; it was the devil who had him bound.) No, you're demanding that the devil give way to the Name of Jesus!

Confession: The Name of Jesus belongs to me. Whatever I demand in the Name of Jesus according to God's Word, He will do it!

We MUST learn to DEMAND that the circumstances line up with the Word of God and that the eneny give way! Remember that JESUS said that ALL authority was given to HIM and that WE should then "Go therefore"! We go forth in HIS Name, with HIS authority over all the power of the enemy! Meditate on these TRUTHS until they become so real to you that doubt cannot stay! AMEN! Here is Hillsong again with "Not Today"! Another command to the enemy, putting him in his place. The one that JESUS relegated him to! 

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

We are in Psalm 22 today, which is referred to as "The Psalm of the Cross" because JESUS quoted this while on the cross and because it references things that happened to JESUS while on the cross. I want to share this again in its entirety, but this time from The Passion Translation!

A Prophetic Portrait of the Cross

22 For the Pure and Shining One King David’s song of anguish
To the tune of “The Deer at the Dawning of the Day”
1 God, my God!  Why would you abandon me now?
2 Why do you remain distant, refusing to answer my tearful cries in the day
and my desperate cries for your help in the night? I can’t stop sobbing.
Where are you, my God?
3 Yet I know that you are most holy; it’s indisputable. You are God-Enthroned, surrounded with songs, living among the shouts of praise of your princely people.
4 Our fathers’ faith was in you— through the generations they trusted and believed in you and you came through.
5 Every time they cried out to you in their despair, you were faithful to deliver them;
you didn’t disappoint them.
6 But look at me now; I am like a woeful worm, crushed, and I’m bleeding crimson.
I don’t even look like a man anymore. I’ve been abused, despised, and scorned by everyone!
7 Mocked by their jeers, despised with their sneers, as all the people poke fun at me, spitting their insults,
8 saying, “Is this the one who trusted in God?  Is this the one who claims God is pleased with him? Now let’s see if your God will come to your rescue!
We’ll just see how much he delights in you!”
9 Lord, you delivered me safely from my mother’s womb. You are the one who cared for me ever since I was a baby.
10 Since the day I was born, I’ve been placed in your custody. You’ve cradled me throughout my days. I’ve trusted in you and you’ve always been my God.
11 So don’t leave me now; stay close to me! For trouble is all around me and there’s no one else to help me.
12 I’m surrounded by many violent foes; mighty forces of evil are swirling around me
who want to break me to bits and destroy me.
13 Curses pour from their mouths! They’re like ravenous, roaring lions tearing their prey.
14 Now I’m completely exhausted; I’m spent. Every joint of my body has been pulled apart. My courage has vanished and my inward parts have melted away.
15 I’m so thirsty and parched—dry as a bone. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
And now you’ve left me in the dust for dead.
16 They have pierced my hands and my feet. Like a pack of wild dogs they tear at me,
swirling around me with their hatred. They gather around me like lions to pin my hands and feet.
17 All my bones stick out. Look at how they all gloat over me and stare!
18 With a toss of the dice they divide my clothes among themselves, gambling for my garments!
19 Lord, my God, please don’t stay far away. For you are my only might and strength.
Won’t you come quickly to my rescue?
20 Give me back my life. Save me from this violent death. Save my precious one and only
from the power of these demons!
21 Save me from all the power of the enemy, from this roaring lion raging against me
and the power of his dark horde.
22 I will praise your name before all my brothers; as my people gather I will praise you in their midst.
23 Lovers of Yahweh, praise him! Let all the true seed of Jacob glorify him with your praises. Stand in awe of him, all you princely people, the offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised my cries of deep despair. He’s my first responder to my sufferings, and he didn’t look the other way when I was in pain. He was there all the time, listening to the song of the afflicted.
25 You’re the reason for my praise; it comes from you and goes to you. I will keep my promise to praise you before all who fear you among the congregation of your people.
26 I will invite the poor and broken, and they will come and eat until satisfied.
Bring Yahweh praise and you will find him. Your hearts will overflow with life forever!
27 From the four corners of the earth, the peoples of the world will remember and return to the Lord. Every nation will come and worship him.
28 For the Lord is King of all, who takes charge of all the nations.
29 There they are! They’re worshiping! The wealthy of this world will feast in fellowship with him right alongside the humble of heart, bowing down to the dust, forsaking their own souls. They will all come and worship this worthy King!
30 His spiritual seed shall serve him. Future generations will hear from us  about the wonders of the Sovereign Lord.
31 His generation yet to be born will glorify him. And they will all declare, “It is finished!”

AMEN! IT IS FINISHED! There is nothing more to be done but the RECEIVING! Remind yourself often of all that JESUS has done for you and you will never find yourself being down, depressed, or without hope! He IS our HOPE! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "GO":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today I want to share from Kenneth E. Hagin's "Health Food" devotional.

God's Goodness and Mercy

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  (Psalm 107:1)

When we think about the goodness and mercy of God, we instinctively think about His goodness and mercy in remitting our sins as sinners and forgiving our sins as Christians.

But God's goodness and mercy go further than that; it's stated a number of times in the four Gospels as those who were sick cried out to Jesus, "Have mercy on us" (Mark 10:47).

Again and again, Jesus had compassion on people and healed them (Matthew 14:14; 20:34; Mark 1:41). Now the New Testament was originally written in Greek. And in the Greek, the word "compassion" is translated mercy.

So literally, the original Scriptures read, "He had mercy on them and healed them." That's what Jesus did. People cried out for mercy, and He had mercy on them and healed them.

I want you to think about God's goodness in healing - about His healing mercy. Acts 10:38 says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." What was the good that Jesus went about doing? He was healing all that were oppressed.

Think about the fact that God is good, not only to save, but to heal. He's merciful, not only to forgive, but to heal. He wants to heal you just as readily as He wants to forgive your sins.

Confession  For the Lord is good, and His mercy endureth forever. He wants to heal me just as readily as He wants to forgive my sins.

Amen! Here is Hillsong UNITED with one of my favorite songs, "Say The Word":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin is another one that I have to share!

For His Body, the Church

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all (Ephesians 1:19-23).

In every place where the Bible mentions the Name of Jesus, it also refers to His Body, the Church, because the Name was given to Jesus so that the Church might use it.

The ones who need to use His Name are those who have become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ; and those who are in contact with men and women in need of deliverance from Satan.

All that Jesus is by inheritance is in that Name! All Jesus has done through conquest is in that Name! And that Name belongs to the Body of Christ: It belongs to you and me! God has made this investment for the Church. The Church has a right to draw upon this deposit for her every need! That Name has within it the fullness of the Godhead.

Confession: I have a right to use the Name of Jesus against the enemy. I have a right to use that Name in prayer. I have a right to use that Name in praise and worship.

AMEN! We need to learn much more than we know now about how to properly use the Name of JESUS! Holy Spirit is our Teacher and He will teach us all that we need to know if we will come to Him with a teachable heart and attitude and become a DOER of the Word! Let's make His Name KNOWN! Here is Hillsong with "What A Beautiful Name":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers! It really speaks to my own experiences!

Vision And Darkness

An horror of great darkness fell upon him. — Genesis 15:12

Whenever God gives a vision to a saint, He puts him, as it were, in the shadow of His hand, and the saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a darkness which comes from excess of light, and then is the time to listen. Genesis 16 is an illustration of listening to good advice when it is dark instead of waiting for God to send the light. When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will make you in accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. Never try and help God fulfil His word. Abraham went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all self-sufficiency was destroyed; there was no possibility left of relying on commonsense ways. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not of displeasure. Never pump up joy and confidence, but stay upon God (cf. Isaiah 50:10-11).

Have I any confidence in the flesh? Or have I got beyond all confidence in myself and in men and women of God, in books and prayers and ecstasies; and is my confidence placed now in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am the Almighty God” — El-Shaddai, the Father-Mother God. The one thing for which we are all being disciplined is to know that God is real. As soon as God becomes real, other people become shadows. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever perturb the one who is built on God.

The message here is that if God has laid something on your heart to do, do NOT go immediately and share it with other people. Commit yourself to spend time in His presence as He instructs you on your first steps of obedience in this. I was instructed by Holy Spirit to begin spending time in the early morning praying AT our church FOR our church, and others inour comminutiy. Instead of simply listening to Holy Spirit instructions, I began to share it with other members with the idea that someone else would have the same idea and I wouldn't be alone in doing this. Not one person was interested! AT ALL! I was SO disappointed because I KNEW that Holy Spirit had told me this. When I prayed, asking Him, He said: "I did not tell you to speak to anyone else about this. i told YOU to do it." I was SO CORRECTED in my thinking and INSTRUCTED further in how Holy SPirit operates! One thing that I learned that day and have never forgotten: I (and YOU) are NOT anyone's 'Holy Spirit'! HE alone has that 'job' and He shares it with no one! So, make your decision based on the Word of god and the  leading of the Spirit of God and JUST DO IT! HE will take care of every other detail! Side note: After praying by myself from 6-7am every morning (since 1985!) People began to receive their own intructions from Him and joined with me! But I HAD to do this myself in obedience or I would never have grown into the ministry that He has called me to! I hope this helps you as much as it did me! Here is Hillsong with "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)", because HE won't, and we can count on that!

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

Today's "Faith To Faith" devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland is another great message for believers!

Get Yourself Together

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

When it comes to faith, a lot of believers feel like they have one foot nailed to the ground. No matter how hard they try, they just can't seem to make any progress.

If you'll watch them, you can see why. They literally haven't "gotten themselves together." One minute they'll be telling you, "Oh yes, amen, I believe the Word," and the next minute they'll be spouting unbelief like it's going out of style. "I know God says He'll prosper us, but I'll tell you what, my business is doing so badly, it's about to give me ulcers. I can't sleep at night for worrying."

Dig a little deeper and you may find out that they've pulled their actions out of line with the Word as well. "Well, you understand, brother, I can't possibly tithe with my income like it is. I'd go under!"

Faith just won't work for a person like that.

You see, you're a triune being. You are a spirit. You have a soul, which consists of your mind, will and emotions. And you live in a body. Each of those areas has a specific role to play in your faith walk. You have to get all three in agreement before you can go anywhere at all!

Start by feeding your spirit on the Word of God. Just like the body produces physical strength when you nourish it with food, the spirit produces spiritual strength when you nourish it with the Word. That spiritual strength is called faith. Develop that faith, and instead of your spirit being dominated by the other two areas, it will be the one in charge.

Next, bring your soul in line. Set your mind on "things above." Meditate on the Word until your thoughts begin to agree with it. Keep your attention on it until even your emotions yield.

Finally, bring your body in line. Once you truly get your spirit and soul established on the Word, that won't be hard. The body is a follower, not a leader. It will do whatever you train it to do. Begin teaching your body to act on the truth you've planted in your mind and spirit, and it will follow right along.

Don't try to walk in faith with your foot nailed to the ground. Get yourself together! Bring your spirit, soul and body in harmony—and the Word will take you as far as you want to go.

AMEN! This is no time to be wichy washy about the things of God or the Word of God! HE is waiting on US to be about HIS business! Here Hillsong Kids  with "As The World Shakes":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

There is a really good message in today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.

The Call of the Natural Life

When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me… —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles….”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

The message here is that we should never try to figure out a title to call ourselves! We simply spend time every day in intimate fellowship with Holy Spirit Who lives IN us, studying the Word of God with Holy Spirit as our Teacher, being a DOER of the Word that He shows us and maintain a life of praise, thanksgiving and worship of the One True God. When we make ourselves available for His use, and are ALWAYS ready to share the Gospel, HE will lead, guide and direct us to the particular ministry and work that HE desires us to be about! Some of us will serve in pulpit capacities. Others will be involved in evangelistic outreaches. Others will be used to teach the Word of God one on one in our areas of influence. Our object, as Paul said in Philippians 3, is to run OUR race to WIN! In the process, we will engage here and there with others as our paths cross and our ministries work together. There should NEVER be an air of competition and our sole goal should be to hear "Well done"! AMEN! Here are Hillsong Kids with a song that I love that removes all of the silly ideas and focuses on the very important reason we are all here in the first place - to seek and save the lost! The song is called "Voices of Freedom":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Grace Inspirations" by Joseph Prince!

BE NUMBERED AMONG THE UNDEVOURABLE

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The devil cannot just walk right up to you and rob you of your health, peace or family. He cannot just come into your life to enforce disease and destruction.

If the devil can do that, then he does not have to walk about “seeking whom he may devour.” He only has to walk straight up to anyone he wants to devour and devour him! But since the Bible says that he goes about seeking whom he may devour, the truth then is that there are people whom he cannot devour.

You see, the devil goes about like a roaring lion trying to stir up fear in people with his roars. But the people who are not devourable are those who refuse to be intimidated by his roars because they know that the true Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (see Revelation 5:5), has already come and rendered powerless him who had the power of death (see Hebrews 2:14, NASB). They know that the devil cannot just do anything to them because the Lion of Judah resides in them, and that He is greater than the devil who is in the world (see 1 John 4:4).

My friend, the Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority and power. He redeemed you with His blood. Therefore, everything about you and your life is redeemed by His blood. So if you are fearful about losing your job, cover your job with the blood of Jesus. If you are worried about your children’s safety in these days of terrorist attacks, plead the blood of Jesus over them. If you have received a bad report from the doctor, speak the blood over yourself.

Whatever you have covered with the blood of Jesus, God declares, “Protected! Redeemed!” And the devil flees when he sees the blood. And when he flees, he takes with him sicknesses, diseases, pains, sufferings, destruction and loss.

Once the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ and what you have in Him, his days of intimidating you are over, and you are numbered among the undevourable!

AMEN! Know who you are IN HIM! Know what you have IN HIM! Know what you can do IN HIM! THEN the enemy can never devour YOU! Here is Hillsong with "Not Today":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I want to share "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin again today!

Mighty Weapon

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Although we have been made new creatures - created by God in Christ Jesus; and although we are transferred out from under Satan's authority, we still live in a world ruled by Satan.

The Bible calls Satan "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). Christ also called him "the prince of this world" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11).

According to the Word of God, the very air about us is filled with hostile forces attempting to destroy our fellowship with God the Father, and to deprive us of our usefulness in the Master's service.

But our Father God, in His great provision and plan of redemption, has given us a weapon to use against Satan. That weapon is given to us not only for ourselves, but also for the benefit of the Satan-ruled men and women around us. That weapon is the Name of Jesus!

Confession: The weapons of my warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Where Satan's forces have built strongholds, I can pull them down with the mighty Name of Jesus. Satan is no match for that Name. And that Name is a mighty weapon given to me to use against the forces of the enemy.

We must have confidence in the authority we have as born again believers with Holy Spirit living IN us and the Word of God as our legal authority! Never doubt what God's Word says because things don't APPEAR to be happening. Remember that God's timing is perfect! Here is Hillsong with "Behold (Then Sings My Soul)":

Shalom in Him!

Shalom,

I really love the simplicity of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. 

Called Of God

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. — Isaiah 6:8

God did not address the call to Isaiah; Isaiah overheard God saying — “Who will go for us?” The call of God is not for the special few, it is for everyone. Whether or not I hear God’s call depends upon the state of my ears; and what I hear depends upon my disposition. “Many are called but few are chosen” that is, few prove themselves the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ whereby their disposition has been altered and their ears unstopped, and they hear the still small voice questioning all the time — “Who will go for us?” It is not a question of God singling out a man and saying, “Now, you go.” God did not lay a strong compulsion on Isaiah; Isaiah was in the presence of God and he overheard the call, and realized that there was nothing else for him but to say, in conscious freedom — “Here am I, send me.”

Get out of your mind the idea of expecting God to come with compulsions and pleadings. When our Lord called His disciples there was no irresistible compulsion from outside. The quiet passionate insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men with every power wide awake. If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we too shall hear something akin to what Isaiah heard, the still small voice of God; and in perfect freedom will say — “Here am I; send me.”

Amen! We KNOW that we are ALL called to the ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5), which is letting the lost know that God isn't holding anything against them, but has already reconciled them to Himself through the blood of JESUS shed for all of our sin! Be led moment by moment by the Spirit of God as He sets up those situations and circumstances where you have the opportunity to share this great GOOD NEWS! After all, that IS why we are here! I love a line in this song by Hillsong called "God Who Saves" that says; "You leave the rescued (US) for the fallen (the lost)"! 

Shalom in Him!